Quick Launch Toolbar

Here is a function that will set-up your application in your quick launch bar.
You will need to have this visible in order to view it.

quick launch toolbar

[From MS]
“The Quick Launch toolbar is really an extension of the Start menu. It allows you to
quickly and easily launch applications and specialized utilities right from the taskbar
just by clicking an icon. By default, the Internet Explorer 4.0 installation procedure
places icons on the Quick Launch toolbar that let you launch Internet Explorer and
Outlook Express. In addition, the toolbar contains icons for accessing the desktop and
launching the new Internet Explorer 4.0 Channel Viewer. “

Couple of things to note:

1) When I did this I could have used API’s to get the AppData dir, how ever I found that
WSH also can get this DESPITE the help file (SCRIPT56.CHM) not mentioning it!
It is mention here however “Scripting guide”
In fact I got 17 listings as opposed to helps 16
Just goes to show that you should look deeper :)

2) I only tested it on XP

3) I used Enum, so runs xl2000+

4) The Arguments option is where you should look to enhancing waht you could load up

Option Explicit
‘//—————————————————————————————
‘// Project   : WinXPQuickLaunchToolbar
‘// DateTime  : 28/08/2005 18:22
‘// Author    : Ivan F Moala
‘// Site      : http://www.xcelfiles.com
‘// Purpose   : Add Application EXE to the Quick Launch Toolbar
‘// For OS    : WinXP
‘// Tested    : Tested Xl2000
‘// In        : Path to executable
‘//           :
‘//           :
‘// Out/Return: Quick launch shortcut
‘//—————————————————————————————

Public Enum eWinStyle
    eNormal = 1 ‘// Restores Window to its original size and position.
   eMax = 3    ‘// Displays Window as a maximized window.
   eMin = 7    ‘// Minimizes the Window and activates the next top-level window.
End Enum

Public Enum tHotKey
    tCTRL = 1  ‘// CTRL
   tALT = 2   ‘// ALT
   tSHIFT = 4 ‘// SHIFT
End Enum

Public Function fnCreateQuickLaunchToolBarShortCut( _
    strPathToEXE As String, _
    Optional strLnkName As String, _
    Optional strDescription As String, _
    Optional strArguments As String = vbNullString, _
    Optional strWindowsStyle As eWinStyle, _
    Optional strIconLocation As String, _
    Optional strTargetPath As String = vbNullString, _
    Optional HotKey1 As tHotKey, _
    Optional strHotKeyLetter As String = “”, _
    Optional strWorkingDirectory As String = vbNullString)
   
Dim objShell As Object, objLnk As Object
Dim strLnkPath As String, strAppDataDir As String
Dim strExe As String

Set objShell = CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)

‘// Prepare the path to the Quick Launch folder
‘// Note: AppData is missing from CHM File help! it is NOT mentioned.
strAppDataDir = objShell.SpecialFolders(“AppData”)
strLnkPath = strAppDataDir & “MicrosoftInternet ExplorerQuick Launch”

‘// Note:If duplicate link name then it replaces it.
‘// set Link name otherwise default to the App Name
If strLnkName = “” Then strLnkName = fnExeName(strPathToEXE)
‘// Set Hot key combination Letter
If HotKey1 > 0 Then
    If strHotKeyLetter = “” Then GoTo NoHotKeyLetter
    strHotKeyLetter = fnGetHotKeyCombString(ByVal HotKey1) & “+” & strHotKeyLetter
End If

‘// Creates the shortcut
Set objLnk = objShell.CreateShortcut(strLnkPath & “” & strLnkName & “.lnk”)

With objLnk
    .TargetPath = strPathToEXE ‘”C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOfficeexcel.exe”
   .WindowStyle = strWindowsStyle ‘1,3,7
   .HotKey = strHotKeyLetter  ‘ eg > “CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+h”
   .WorkingDirectory = strWorkingDirectory ‘”C:ExcelFilesUseful”
   ‘// used 0 index for icon, you can change this IF there are more then 1 and you want to use another.
   .IconLocation = strIconLocation & “,0” ‘”C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOfficeexcel.exe, 0″
   ‘// Note: you could have added the arguments to the Target path with a Space between
   .Arguments = strArguments     ‘Load this up “C:ExcelFilesUseful22.xls”
   .Description = strDescription ‘”My Shortcut to Excel”
   .Save
End With

Set objShell = Nothing
Set objLnk = Nothing

Exit Function
NoHotKeyLetter:
MsgBox “You have NOT defined a hotkey letter!”, vbCritical
End Function

Public Function fnGetHotKeyCombString(ByVal HotKey1 As Integer) As String
‘// Return the HotKey combination
‘// 1=CTRL 2=ALT 4=SHIFT + combinations
Select Case HotKey1
    Case 1
        fnGetHotKeyCombString = “CTRL”
    Case 2
        fnGetHotKeyCombString = “ALT”
    Case 3
        fnGetHotKeyCombString = “CTRL+ALT”
    Case 4
        fnGetHotKeyCombString = “SHIFT”
    Case 5
        fnGetHotKeyCombString = “CTRL+SHIFT”
    Case 6
        fnGetHotKeyCombString = “ALT+SHIFT”
    Case 7
        fnGetHotKeyCombString = “CTRL+ALT+SHIFT”
    Case Else
        fnGetHotKeyCombString = vbNullString
End Select

End Function

Public Function fnExeName(strPath As String) As String
‘// return the Executable name only given the fullpath
Dim vArray As Variant

vArray = Split(strPath, “”)
fnExeName = vArray(UBound(vArray))

End Function

‘// Test routines

Sub Tester1()
‘// Test create launch for Excel
fnCreateQuickLaunchToolBarShortCut _
    Application.Path & “Excel.exe” _
    , “MyExcel”, “This is my version of Excel”, , eMax

End Sub

Sub CreateCab()
‘// Try this !
fnCreateQuickLaunchToolBarShortCut “C:WINDOWSsystem32iexpress.exe”
End Sub

Posted in Uncategorized

4 thoughts on “Quick Launch Toolbar

  1. CM Ivan,

    As usual some cool and nice stuff :)

    It works well with my Swedish version of XP and to launch a workbook in Excel 2003 (SW).

    Anyway, do You know if it’s possible to target a specific position on the QL Toolbar?

    I got several shortcuts and some of them are not viewed, (not until I hit the >>-button).

    When running the above code it place the created shortcut first only among the shortcuts that are not viewed.

    Per se it should add it last of all the present shortcuts?!

    Take care and all the very best from,
    CM Dennis

  2. Hi Dennis
    “Anyway, do You know if itís possible to target a specific position on the QL Toolbar?”

    Not not really, If the QL is visible it will place it last .. f not then it will place in alphabetical order.


Posting code? Use <pre> tags for VBA and <code> tags for inline.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.